A man travelling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below,
another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him.
Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. T he man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tastedt20
Enlightenment is best described as the ultimate
realisation of one ' s true nature. Although achievable in all people, very few have ever experienced it. This is because people still hold on t o the belief in a ' self' and build upon that belief, all desires and mental defilement.
Buddhist teaching describes how enlightenment can only be attained by self-discovery, mainly by practising meditation. Once enlightened, one's mind becomes clear and still, completely detached from all ignorance
stemming from the belief in a self. There is also the intuitive realisation of ' the true nature of things' . It is often compared to putting up a fire in a dark cave; once the fire is lit, every comer of the ca ve can be clearly seen, no matter how long that cave has bee� in the darkness. The realisation is simple but difficult to attain. It is not an accumulative process that would happen within any specific conditions; it takes place instantly or in a timeless moment.
The ultimate goal, the utmost goodness (Summum Bonum), of many eastern philosophies, including Hinduism and Buddhism, is to attain this enlightenment
Reps, P. & Senzaki, N., Zen Flesh, Zen Bone!l , Boston,
Enlightenment 44
but, each teaching has its own different approach which varies from each of the others.
Siddhattha, the first man who is known to have been enlightened, became the Buddha after this discovery. The teachings later have been known as B uddhism. The word 'Buddha' is the title given to him and means the Enlightened One or the Awakened One, one who ' blows out' his own ignorance. Among the Buddhist followers, it has been postulated that, through time, there have already been several Buddhas and there will be more to come.
Enlightenment is a notion that I have never experienced or even come anywhere near. In fact, I am still much in doubt whether that ideal state is possible to achieve. However, when discussing enlightenment, it often reminds me of when I try to resolve certain problems seriously but cannot come up with any solution. Then one moment, while I am about to nod off and thinking of something totally different, all of a sudden, the solution arises, and it is clear from the beginning to the end as to how I should approach it. An enlightenment would be something in this manner which explodes out of the mind, that reality is always with us but is too close for us to be aware of it; we overlook it.
If one had to be totally detached from the awareness of a self in order to be enlightened, people would be less likely to achieve enlightenment these days. It is the way of modern ' Western' thought which focuses upon the notion in opposition to the Buddhist concept of ' non self - ' i ndividuality' . We build belief in ourself from the time we are born and given names; and then we begin to say ' I ' . Later we add concepts such as
Fig. 31: A Chinese iconographic letter which means 'god' or 'sky'.
2 1
Enlightenment 45
human-rights, womens-rights, animal-rights, etc. which also re-emphasise and stretch that belief further.
With the ideas of discovery, simplicity, awakening, and the further ideas gathered from the design of my 'timepiece', I began experimenting with the first
project. The design of lighting was used as a vehicle for this experiment as light seems to be the first sign for us to commence our daily routines (we usually wake up every morning when the sun rises).
In Chinese culture, several designs were developed from the human body and its parts. For example, the
iconographic letter of the word 'sky' or 'god' was developed from the human image (fig. 3 1) , or the design of chopsticks, "developed about five thousand years ago as extensions of the fingers;" 21 since people in those days did not want to dip their fingers in hot pots in order to reach for food.
In this first project, I also sought inspiration from the human figure in the design of table lamps
(fig. 32 & 33).
Petroski, H., The Evolution of Useful Things, New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1992, p. 19
Fig. 32: Early concept models of table lamps made oul of cardboard
and balsa-wood to imitate the human-figure. The small balsa nwdel 011 the lower right was selecred for further development.
Fig. 33: Full-scale development, the Lighring components were brought from a small flasflligflt.
22 23
Enlightenment 46
The way lamps operate was also inspired by the posture exercises of 'Yoga'. Yoga is well-known as a kind of exercise suitable for relieving stress. The original Yoga school was founded by Patanjali around 200 BC. in India; it is considered as a branch of Hinduism which also seeks the state of enlightenment. It believes that the mind and the body are not two separate entities, they are closely inter-related, therefore should be developed together to a higher awareness. The art of 'simple living and high thinking'22 seeks an enlightenment through eight-ascending steps (ashtanga): self-discipline, proper behaviour, steady posture, proper breathing, withdrawal of the senses, concentration of the mind, meditation and enlightenment (samadhi).2'3
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre. Yoga. Mind & Body. ictoria. Australia, Thomas C. Lothian, 1996. p. 1 0
Fig. 34: Sun Salutation
Enlightenment 47
' Steady Posture' (Asanas) is practiced through
different body movements which require both physical and mental involvement. Through the body's
movement, Asanas relieves pressure of the body's joints, stretches the muscles, balances the nervous system and massages aU internal organs, thereby, slowly improving the physical health.
The two final forms of the table lamps were designed to symbolise the human figure; their movements are inspired from the two Asanas called: Surya Namaskar I The Sun Salutation (fig. 34 & 35) and 'Inclined Plane'
(fig. 36 & 37). The first posture is practiced as a warm up exercise, the second posture gives a thorough lateral stretch to all parts of the body.
Fig. 35: Yogi lamp # 1 (mynle & perspex)
Fig. 36: Incline Plane
Fig. 37: Yogi lamp H 2 (myrtle &
perspex)
Enlightenment 49
With the idea of discovery. the two lamp were de. igned
24
Enlightenment 50
' switched on and off', their simple geometric forms would be physically manipulated by 'twisting' and ' lifting' (fi g. 35 & 37); the objects then awake and, simultaneously, light-up and reveal their functions as table lamps. This idea of discovery had been translated into the sense of surprise influenced by the Kaplan statement:
Mystery .. .is somewhat unexpected in the context of psychology. Perhaps for this reason there has been an inclination to translate it into a more familiar concept, such as 'surprise.' A critical difference between mystery and surprise, however, is that in a surprise the new information is present and it is sudden. In the case of mystery, the new information is not present; it is only suggested or implied. Rather than being sudden, there is a strong element of continuity. The bend i n the road, the brightly lighted field seen through a screen of foliage - these settings imply that the new information will be continuous with, and related to, that which has gone before. Given this continuity one can usually think of several alternative hypotheses as to what one might discover.24
With the exhibited items, the central mechanisms of both lamps were developed so that the ' clicking' can be felt when lamp # 1 is twisted on, and in lamp # 2 , the idea is to allow the lamp to operate with only one hand by lifting the handle up.
The first design experiment w as mainly inspired by the movement of the human figure and through my in ward concentration. I found the idea of ' simple discovery' and ' direct interaction of the forms' worked well in this context. I carried the idea further and began working on another lighting project, but this time focusing outward, the discovery inspired by place (partly as a further investigation from my Master degree research study).
When I first came to Tasmania in 1 996, I seemed to b e more acutely aware o f what I came across i n my new
Cited in 'The future isn't what it used to be' by V. Papanek in The Idea ofDesign [edited by V. Margolin and R . Buchanan],
Ftg. 38: Water fall rcene
Ftg. 39: Floor lamp (horizontal srick & huon veneer)
Enlightenment 5 1
environment; reminding me of my mentor's words, "The longer you stay, the less you see." My first trip out of
Hobart was to go bush-walking in the area of the Huon
Valley.
We walked down a valley for about an hour. At its bottom, looking up, I saw a big water-fall whose name I do not recall. Its visual impact was inspiring - two big cliff by the sides, a water fall in the middle and sun light from above, (fig. 38).
Inspired by this scene, a floor lamp (fig. 39), made from local materials of ' horizontal stick' and 'huon veneer', instead of playing with light, used shadows that are
projected onto the wall to imitate that water-fall scene. The lamp still uses a conventional switch hidden at its back to
turn the light on and off. Even though I was not quite
pleased with the outcome - its look is conventional - I carried on the idea of 'design inspired by a natural scene' into the next object.
Later in the year, I visited a place called 'Henty Dunes' on the west coast of Tasmania. I was overwhelmed by the sharp contrasts of forests, vast sand dunes and seas. While strolling along the dune, looking out to the sea, there was
Fig. 40: Dunes in Africa's Sahara Desert (to illustrate rhe idea of dunes)
Fis. 41: Marshy lake
Fig. 42: Unit tile Waving Motion
Enlightenment 52
a moment when I did not feel like I was moving, but instead was witnessing the land and the sea moving against each other, then glittering light shone from the sea. It was a unique g]impse whkh happened as if I was experiencing the landscape with a new perception.
The scene of Henty Dunes that day reminded me of Rut Bryk's 'Marshy lake', and Masatoshi Sakaegi 's 'Unit tile Waving Motion' (fig. 41 & 42). Both works are modular ceramic wall tiles, they express the feeling of landscapes observed from a distance. Shadows projected from the relief, also add to the works' depth and mystery.
I wanted to capture that timeless moment and translate it into design work, the following project was designed as wall sculpture so that viewers would have an impression of looking at a scene. The 'dune piece' (fig. 45) is an
abstraction from that experience. The large surface represents the landscape and the pattern of sand dunes.
Fig. 43 & 44: Design development
(cardboard)
Fig. 45: Dune piece (/won-veneer, MDF & aluminium)
Fig. 46: Dune piece. rite top panel can be slid to the side ro light up the piece.
Enlightenment 53
The top part can be slid to the side. The sculpture then reveals its function as a wall lamp (fig. 46).
With the same principle, the 'Luna piece' (fig. 50 & 5 1 ) was designed so that its round shape counteracts with the square shape of the first piece. I noticed afterwards that the two works can also be read as masculine-feminine characters (fig. 52). Some viewers read the design as a representation of the Yin-Yang symbol, because of its shape and the separating curvature line, which I do not mind (although I had no intention to represent it, the line separating the circle evolved from a number of sketches) (fig. 47' 48 & 49)
Fig. 47 & 48: Initial design of rhe Luna piece (cardboard): the two panels can be slid apart, the parting
line at the front then form a circle representing the moon, Lhen the light would shine through.
Fig. 49: Further development: the design evolved to a round shape, the outer ring can be rotated, the piece then lights up.
Fig. 50: Luna piece (myrtle-veneer, MDF & copper) The final design has the combination of the curva111re line and the round shape from early developments.
Fig. 51: Luna piece: the top part can be slid to the side, the piece then lights up.
Fig. 52: Two wall pieces displayed
together.
Enlightenment 55
idea of direct interaction with the work through the ambiguous forms is fascinating. It gives users a sense of contentment through self-discovery. With this idea, I plan to experiment further in the following projects and will investigate also other thoughts in Buddhist philosophy.
Even though the prototypes in all cases are able to demonstrate how the designs should work, I would wish the products to be better engineered and professionally produced. The sliding mechanism in the wall pieces should be able to slide smoothly. With the Yogi lamps, the power sources can well come from a rechargeable battery so the electrical cord is not needed.
Fig. 53: Tibetan Painting, depicting the concept of Samsara
25 26
Sam sara
[If] a man were to eat a ripe mango, and plant the seed; and from that a large mango-tree were to spring and bear fruit; and then the man were to eat a ripe mango from that tree also and plant the seed; and from that seed also a large mango-tree were to spring and bear fruit; thus of these trees there is no end discernible. In exactly the same way, to be born here and die here, to die here and be born elsewhere, to be born there and die there, to die there and be born
elsewhere, this, is the round of existance.25
Samsara means an endless cycle of change; birth, aging,
illness, death and rebirth.26 Samsara is not a term coined by the Buddha, the concept existed even before his time. The aim of most Eastern philosophies is to be enlightened and break away from this wheel of change.
I was studying the Buddhist idea of Sam sara - the cycle of impermanent life, and was trying to find objects that might provide a metaphor for this thought, when I came across two inspiring statements. The first one was from the Mohammed:
Warren, H., Buddhism in Translalions, Cambridge, Harvard University, 1900, p. 232
The idea of rebirth in Buddhism is slightly different from the idea of reincarnation; reincarnation describes a soul as a permanent entity which passes on from one body to another, while rebirth in Buddhism describes a new life as a separate entity, but conditioned by the actions (ko.rma) of the old one.
27 28
29
Samsara 57
If a man finds himself with bread in both hands, he should exchange one loaf for some flowers; since the loaf feeds the body indeed, but the flower feeds the soul. 27
The second one was from a poem in a Taoist text about matter and emptiness, it can be approximately translated
as:
No matter how beautifully the vessel may be decorated, without the emptiness inside, that vessel would be useless.28
Originating from the idea of Samsara, the new design project is to use flowers and vases as an analogy of the concept. The design would attract the users' attention and lead them to observe the progressive change the flower undergoes as an analogy of one' s life. Along w ith the main concept, I have also set out 4 further ideas for the design investigation: 1 . the idea of co-existance, 2. the essence of things, 3 . the idea of representation, and 4. the idea of caring and interaction.
1. The idea of co-existance,
Organism and environment form an inseparable whole. No organism exists without its environment, and there would be no environment without the organism; the best symbol for the organism-environment reciprocity is the well-known Chinese figure of Yin and Yang. Whenever we see in our environment what we must see in order to act successfully, we see parts of ourselves "in the picture": our nose, our hands, our feet are always present if we look at a building or other artifact. This has definite consequences for the scale of our environmental ex
�
erience: we cannot escape from our visual environment.2With Krampen's assertion, I should like to test if things can be designed with a consideration of both positive and negative aspects. That reminds me of a story about the bell
Sparnon, N., Japanese Flower Arrangement, Tokyo, Charles E. Tuttle, 1960, p. 17
Suwannapetch, B., Tao khong Lao Tz.u, Bangkok, S & K Books, 1995, p. 32
30
Samsara 58
in a temple: "How old is the bell?" a tourist asked a monk. "The bell itself was cast during the thirteenth century, but the air inside is much older." the monk replied. This sense of duality and harmony also has an influence upon Zen art - in B uddhist Zen paintings,
.. .the empty spaces i n the paintings are just as important as the painted figures.30
In this project, I plan to experiment with an idea of complementing rather than containing (the co-existance of flowers and vases). I should like the vases, instead of containing the flowers, to complement them.
2. The essence of things, the Buddhist concept of living is parallel to the concept o f Minimalism - having only the essential elements, for instance, the Buddhist monk is
allowed to possess only minimum necessities to live in monastic communities: a robe, a begging bowl, a needle, a
rosary (in some communities, a water strainer) and a razor. I am in favour of the minimalist concept and would like to assimilate this idea to the design of vases, however I need to clarify for myself that, ' my intension is not to minimize elements in design, but to be careful how I am putting them in. '